Light and Silver
by straywater
Summary: Since the moment I was born my mother and I have been in hidding from the shinigami realm. After my mother was killed by those who have been hunting us, I moved in with my best friend. Now someone is trying to fuse 2 worlds together and it is up to me to stop them. The stakes? The lives of the ones i love as well as my own. My name is: Silver Yagami, half human, half shinigami.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, I hope you enjoy the story. Please review to let me know what you think. :) It is easier to keep writting when i know people are reading. Also, a quick memo for those of you who may be reading my Grimm fanfic: I am still planning to finish, once the second season is over, i am simply stepping away for a while because i lost juice. Anyway, here you go, first chap is a little boring but it'll pick up in the next one. Enjoy! **

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_His eyes pulsed as blood pooled around him. The impossible had happened. He had been caught and exposed as Kira! The result of the mess: hysteria as his own name was written within the note book. His mind reeled in refusal to accept the truth that he'd not only lost, but was going to die. His body reacted the same way as he twisted and turned for some means of escape. "you seem so undignified right now, this isn't like you, Light" The shinigami, Ryuk mocked as Light's protests against death grew louder. "I don't want to die….I don't want to die!" he wailed. The protests continued until 40 seconds later, when the heart attack began….._

My eyes shot open at the sound of thunder rattling the house. "him again…." I uttered. A shiver took hold of my spine and I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself. Feeling a few drops of cold, wet rain on the tops of my shoulders , I gazed around the room. The wind whistled and gently blew through my red, ruby hair as an open window snagged my eye. I rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes and slid off the bed. After pulling the window shut, I hastily

stepped out of the room and sprinted down the staircase. "Darren!" I called.

I stepped off the end of the stairs in time to see my roommate hover in the doorway of the kitchen's entrance. I watched his name Linger above his head and suppressed a growl. I already knew who he was. I didn't need to see it, yet it was always there, a constant reminder that I was an absolute freak! He offered a smile. "good morning, Silver!" he cheered. "I made breakfast already, so just help yourself" he added, brushing a strand of blond hair from his face. "Darren…..were you in my room last night?" I asked. Darren blinked and shook his head "why do you ask?" he wanted to know. "Window was opened" I informed . "That window was bolted shut!" Darren gasped. "I know, I think I've been compromised" I admitted. Darren's greyish blue eyes narrowed "that dose it—I'm calling Near" he stated, his voice dripping with concern.

As he pulled out his cellphone, I glided to the kitchen and grabbed 2 apples from the fridge. I crunched them down in a matter of seconds before grabbing 2 more. I then joined Darren on the living room sofa. "well, it looks like the line is busy, I'll try again in an hour" he told me. I tossed him one of my apples, noting the amused snort escaping from his nose. "you keep eating them as fast as you are, we'll end up buying the whole store supply" he joked. I shrugged "I can't help it, Darren" I muttered sheepishly, feeling a pink swirl in my cheeks. He snaked his arm around me and squeezed. "I know" he grinned. He sighed and I watched his happy-fun-loving features grow serious once more. Those greyish blue pools of his we call eyes stared intently at me, not quite shaking, but on the verge of doing so.

"how are you holding up?" he questioned. I shifted away from him and began twiddling my thumbs. I didn't have to ask what he meant, I already knew. He was talking about the house fire my mother, Sayu had been caught and died in. My eyes casted down to my lap and I bobbed my head from side to side. "I don't want to discuss this, now" I barley whispered. "your going to have to sometime, especially if you want to catch the culprit. It's been a whole month, besides, it might help" Darren urged. He was talking into a loose fist, vaguely aware and ashamed that he was pushing me on such a private and tender matter. "relaying information to Near, won't do anything, you know? I'm honored that he took the case. I really am, but….It wasn't a human who killed my mother, ok? The shinigami who did it, did so to flush me out—I can only hide for so long" I guess my monologue must have upset him because he squeezed his jeans and clenched his teeth. He opened his mouth to speak but his cell rang before he got any words out. I simply leaned back on the couch as he answered Near's call.

Alright, let's take a step back. I'm sure your confused, so let me explain. My name is Silver Yagami. Before you ask, yes, that does mean I'm related to Light Yagami A.K.A: Kira. Light or…Kira is my uncle. As I've stated, my mother, Sayu died in a house fire a month ago. Since the moment I was born she and I have been in hiding from anyone who resides in the shinigami realm. The reason for this is because my existence is…..well, against the rules. If you haven't guessed it, yet, with my obsession with apples and the ability to see peoples names, then allow me to spell it out for you. I am half Shinigami. I never met my father though, I don't even know if he's alive or not. Darren has been my best friend ever since I can remember, he and Near are the only ones outside of my mother and me that know of my shinigami half. After the fire, Darren, bless his heart, offered me a place to stay. Caught up now? Good, then let's time back in!


	2. Chapter 2

**Greetings again, enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review. **

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While the chatter between Darren and Near continued, the soft ring of the doorbell wafted through the house. I quietly slinked off the couch and greeted the unexpected guest. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Silver Yagami?" a large man reading off a clip board asked. I raised a skeptic eyebrow and cleared my throat. "umm, yeah, that's me" I confirmed. "wait here" he instructed. As he made his way back to a large white truck, I took in his outfit. A tan vest with knee leveled shorts to match. The uniform was complete with a hat of the same color. I guess you could say he resembled a mail man, but there was something odd about our whole exchange. I couldn't quite put my finger on the reason for it, but the man's appearance made me uneasy.

He returned with a bouquet of red and white roses moments later. I examined the long package of flowers covered in plastic as the bouquet was handed to me. Each rose had at least one grey petal. Aside from the odd tinge of grey, they didn't give off a normal scent. The best way I can explain, is by taking your favorite perfume or cologne and mixing it with the musky smell of smoke from a camp fire. It wasn't horrible, just odd. "There must be at least 2 dozen! Who are they from?" I wondered. "3 dozen actually, and I don't know. The order was placed anonymously" was the reply. The man tipped his hat and returned to his truck throwing a quick and polite "good day ma'am'" over his shoulder. I closed the door and scrambled around the plastic to find a tag with the sender's name on it, but the only name I found was my own. My uneasiness only got worse at this discovery. Something did not sit right with these.

"what you got there?" Darren questioned, coming up behind me. I jumped a bit and turned to face him. "I'm not really sure" I shrugged. I walked back to the living room where we both previously were and sat the flowers down on the coffee table. Darren brought me a vase filled with water and I hesitantly picked the bouquet up again and dipped it in the vase. Much like earlier that morning, Darren brought a loose fist to his mouth. He coughed nervously and licked his lips. I blinked at him a couple times. "what's got you so nervous?" I teased. "Near agrees with you. He thinks that since shinigami can pass through things if they wish, the window opening was a warning. They've found you again" Darren explained. I nodded "of course they did" I quipped. "He—umm—he thinks we should stay with him at the station until we know the best action we can take" he finished in a rush.

My mouth twitched, revealing the right side of my teeth. "No! No more hiding! I'm sick of it!" My hand slammed the table making the house shake. My mother always kept me cooped up inside when I was little. After school, even when I reached the age of Jr. high and high school, I was to come straight home. I could have people over, but I was almost never aloud outside. Now, Near wanted to try cooping me up as well? Forget it! "but Silver…." Darren tried. "Don't 'but Silver' me! I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it again! They'll find me no matter where I go!" My hand hit the table again, this time the impact affected the vase of flowers more than the rest of the house and the vase was knocked over.

As soon as the crash had broken the vase and the petals touched the water that was inside it, those same petals melted into the water. Once they melted, the color of the water darkened and turned grey. Fascinated, I crouched in front of the grey puddle and stuck my fingers in it. The newly formed concoction was thick and sludgy like mud or sand, yet smooth like rubber and cold like ice. Darren knelt so he was at eye level with me. "Are you sure you should be-" Darren was cut off by a yelp of surprise. My whole arm up to my elbow had just sank into the floor. As I quickly acted to tug my arm free, the rest of me was sucked through. I felt a slap of air as Darren tried to grab for me, but I was already out of reach. Well, now I know how a noodle in a bowl of soup felt…..

I found myself spiraling down a dirt slide lined with the same concoction I was just examining. Round and round and round, I went. Jerking and twisting every which way as the rounded corners constantly turned. The speed picked up with each switch of direction until all I could see was a white blur. Finally, my path crumbled to dust and I halted to a stop. After landing on my butt with a loud thud, I couldn't help but jump at the sound of rumbling from beneath me. My breath hitched as pebbles bounced off stone that began to rise, forming a fence around me. The fence wasn't so high that I couldn't see over it. In fact, had I been standing, it would only come up to my chest. However I was still trapped just the same, especially since the fence came with a pair of shackled chains that attached themselves from the floor to my wrists.

When things had seemingly settled I stood up and just as I stated, the fence only came up to my chest. I peered around. The place I'd ended up in was incredibly barren. Nothing other than dust, dirt, and stone for miles. I didn't need my shinigami half to realize I'd been transported to the shinigami realm. "I see you got the flowers" a raspy voice had observed. Snapping out of my daze I turned my head to look in front of me. The sight of a huge stone arm chair occupied by a huge zombie-like creature with blue cat ears and white wings is what greeted me. The overall color of it's body was a putrid barf brown and the left cat ear looked as if it had been mistaken as a mouse's snack. "We've been expecting you, Silver Yagami!" it beamed. "We?" I ask dumbly.

The creature motioned for me to look behind me. I obeyed and noticed that unlike moments before, there was a crowd of shinigami watching my exchange. I squinted my eyes, leering over what seemed to be thousands of them, although one in particular caught my eye. One Shinigami, seemed to be trying not to watch. It was in the back, far away from the rest of the crowed. I could tell it was interested because it kept taking cautious glances at me, but it wasn't gawking like the rest of them. Why was it trying so hard to hide its interest when no one else was?

"I do apologies for the chains, Silver" the zombie-creature mocked, again snapping me from my thoughts. I faced it again, staring it up and down, measuring it's height. I guessed it must have been the king since he was two times the size of an average shinigami. "I just thought you'd be flapping your wings by now. Didn't want you to fly away is all" he continued. I rolled my eyes "why don't you cut to the chase and just tell me what you want already" I groaned. The shinigami king grinned maliciously, revealing two rows of chipped teeth. "My, you're a bold one, aren't you?" he commented. "fine, what I want from you, dear girl—is your help" he told me. My eyes narrowed. "Do you really expect me to believe that? You've wanted me dead since the day I existed and now you decide you actually need me for something?" I interrogated, throwing my arms in utter frustration.

I did my best not to show it, but I was thoroughly confused. This made absolutely no sense! Shinigami have been hunting me since the day I was born. They even trapped my mother in a burning house just to get to me. The fire not only killed my mother but burned the house to the ground as well. Now, they were asking for my help, after years of hunting me? "Don't get the wrong idea. It pains me to have to ask such an abomination—but I need someone my target won't easily see coming" The shinigami king explained. "Target?" I questioned and he nodded at me. "A rouge shinigami wants to fuse our realm with the human realm. I don't know exactly who, but that's where you come in. Identify it and report back to me" he clarified. "So basically, one of your subjects stepped out of line and you want me to clean the mess?" I summarized. "I suppose that's one way of putting it, yes" he admitted with a chuckle.

An awkward silence had ensued. I scratched my chin, thinking. "My help huh? That's it?" I inquired. "That's it" The king repeated. "And if I refuse…." I wondered. The king smirked and let out a laugh so shrill it not only caused shivers, but my hair to frizz. "I was hoping you would ask" he said. He then pulled a small black book from the right side of his throne and held it out for me to see. "I know the names and faces of everyone you ever hung around. That includes, dear girl, that of your precious Darren and older comrade Near" he warned.

Something inside of me popped and I could no longer control my instinctive actions, nor the sudden: _pound, pound, pound_ of my heart. My fists clenched tightly at my sides, squeezing so hard my nails dug into my palms. Violet purple feathery wings unsheathed themselves from my shoulder blades. Said wings began flapping violently, sending gusts of dirt and sand forward as well as lifting me inches over the fence surrounding me. I lunged at the king but the chains on my wrists jerked me back. The king snorted in amusement. "Easy dearie, I haven't done anything, yet. I haven't even pulled out a pen. You asked a question, I simply answered. Honestly, you're so easily excitable" he deadpanned. I blinked, loosening my fists and floating back down. My heart rate slowed, returning to normal and my wings retracted. "you still threatened them" I muttered, a hint of a hiss in my voice.

"Alright" I sighed. "I'll help, but I want something in return" I stated. "Oh? And what would that be?" he asked. "I do this, you stop hunting me, and my friends are off limits to you and your subjects. No ifs, ands, or buts" I requested. The king tilted his head with a raised eyebrow. "Really? That's it? I would've thought you would want to know who your father is" he speculated. "Do you know?" I wondered. He shook his head and shrugged "I know how to find out" he replied. I shook my head, I've gone all my life without knowing and I was just fine. As curious as I was, those who were actually around and there for me were more important. "I want just what I asked for" I decided.

"Very well then, suit yourself. We are nothing if not reasonable—complete the task and you and your friends will be free to live your lives without any interference from us" The king granted. He pulled out another notebook, identical to the first one and tossed it, Frisbee-style, at me. I caught it with one hand and didn't even glance at the book before chucking it back at him in the same manner it was thrown. "Are you sure you don't want it? The one you're after may have accomplices that will get in your way" the king warned. "I don't care, I'd rather drink poison then carry that thing around" I quipped. "Interesting….would you also object to being partnered with a shinigami?" he mused. My eyebrows knitted together. "Seriously?" I questioned. "You may be half shinigami, but you were raised in the human world. Situations may arise where you'll need answers a human can't provide" he reasoned. "I guess I could agree to that" I stated uncertainty.

The king snapped his fingers and out of seemingly nowhere, the same shinigami I'd spotted earlier was standing next to me, outside of the fence of course. I gasped in shock, I'd never seen him in person, but I did recognize him. I watched as he analyzed me, perhaps a little too closely. He shuffled his feet and looked me up and down, avoiding my eyes at all costs. His behavior was in complete contrast to what Near said. He wasn't mocking me with an 'I don't give a shit so amuse me' attitude I'd heard so much about. Actually, he seemed more nervous than anything else. "So, your Light's niece…."


	3. Chapter 3

**Greetings readers, sorry it took so long to get this next chapter up. I had a lot going on for halloween, also, theres a flashback in this chapter and those are hard to write. Anyway happy belated halloween, enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!**

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After I bit back my tongue and stopped a row of profanity from streaming out of my mouth, me and my new…..partner were permitted to return to the human world. The fence surrounding me eroded and the chains slid off. The slide I'd came in returned and I was sky rocketed backwards, landing in the same spot I'd disappeared from.

We were greeted with the sight of Darren pacing back an fourth with the phone clutched to his ear. He was sweating so profusely, you'd think he jumped in the shower with his cloths on! Drips of sweat rolled down his short blond bangs and wiping them away only smeared more across his forehead. It's probably needless to say, but his cloths were drenched. It looked as if the stains could burn holes through the seams of his pants and shirt.

"I don't know where she is! If I did, I wouldn't have had to call you!" I heard him say. I cleared my throat and he froze in his tracks, turning his head towards me. "I got to go, Near, she's back…." He breathed out slowly. I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head and the next thing I knew, I was being crushed by his arms. "Don't scare me like that!" he declared when he pulled away. "Yeah! Right! As if it were on purpose!" I giggled, wiping off sweat he managed to rub off on me.

A frown appeared on my face when a certain shinigami had his own giggle fest behind me. "Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk, don't you think you ought to tell him? Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk" he suggested. "I'm getting there" I snarled through clenched teeth. "getting to what?" Darren asked.

I bit my bottom lip. He really wasn't going to like this, then again, neither did I. I mean, seriously, these creatures have been hunting me since the bane of my existence. Not to mention, my father was a shinigami and abandoned us before I was even out of my mother's womb! Shinigami and me just don't mix, despite the fact that I was half of one. Now, I'm expected to work with one? Not just anyone either, you want to know who I'm referring to? Fine, I'll tell you: I have been paired with none other than, Ryuk! That's right! The same bastard who killed my uncle and for all I knew, could've also killed my mother (I would find out later that that last part wasn't true, but let's save that for later shall we?).

"Darren, there's something I should tell you…." I mumbled. Before I could say anything else, Ryuk thought it would be funny to just drop the bomb without letting me finish the warning. He flew over Darren's head and tapped his shoulder with the edge of his death note. I face palmed, covering my eyes and peeking through my fingers as Darren slowly turned around to catch sight of Ryuk's huge form towering over him. "You've got to be kidding me!" Darren boomed. As he said this he quickly jumped into a defensive position, blocking my view of Ryuk with his back. "umm, I'll explain in detail later. Right now, we need to pack for Near's" I interrupted quickly. "I thought you said you didn't want to go?" Darren pressed. "That was before I was told to work with clown face over there" I mused pointing in Ryuk's general direction. The shinigami was now headed toward the kitchen. "Well, that was quite rude—hey, if we're leaving, do you have any apples? Can we take them with us?" Ryuk streamed.

"Yeah, umm, we can take the apples…..just don't eat them all, you're not the only addict here" Darren joked, his eyes gleaming at me. "Oh, shut up!" I sneered, lightly pushing his shoulder. Darren smiled at me. "Whatever. Just go pack already, I'll watch our…..guest" he suggested. I took that as my cue to sneak up the stairs but Darren caught my arm. "Watch your back while he's here. I don't trust him" he whispered. Once he let go I made my way back to my bedroom.

There wasn't much I really needed to take. Some cloths, a few books, a few old DVDs of Kira debates, my laptop, and an old rusty lunch box containing three items. I lazily tossed the first three items on my check list into a suitcase, and carefully set my laptop on top. I paused at my dresser where my lunch box sat. A calm feeling washed over me as I flipped the lid open, reveling in the memories each item inside held.

A small brown teddy bear with worn, rugged fur and a blue and green piece sign on its belly stared at me with dull, beady black eyes from its laying position on its back. Darren had given me that the first time I'd ever contracted the flu. I'd slept with it from the day I'd received it all the way up until I reached junior year of high school. 'Scruffy' I think is what I called it. Around its neck was a necklace, which on the bear, was much too long. The charm stopped in the middle of 'Scruffy's' belly, covering the peace sign. On my neck, however, the charm would have stopped just below my color bone. The necklace was a heart shaped blue sapphire stone with a star carefully carved into the center. The beautiful sapphire charm was on a silver chain. That too, was a gift, but not from Darren. The necklace had actually been from Near. I don't know how he did it, but he'd somehow planted a microchip into the stone, so he could track where I was if anything ever happened to me. I wore it all the time when I was younger. However, once I reached preteen and teen years, I kept it in the box, much to the worry of both Near and my mother.

More on both those items later, right now what I really want to talk about is the third and finale item in the box: a feather. A single jet-black feather, that in a certain light could look almost purple. Now, don't get me wrong, although I am curious about my father, I really don't care if that curiosity is ever quilled. He left us! That proved he didn't give two shits about me or my mother. Why then, should I give a damn about him?! I really don't. My mother always insisted that he never abandoned us, but what else do you call leaving and never coming back? Before your kid is even born, no less! Still, my mother would tell me stories about him, just as she did with every other relative (Yes, even my uncle). She told me almost everything, accept his name. I never knew why she left that out, but she did.

So you can probably guess that the feather isn't in that box because it's my father's, right? No, it's in that box because my mother had given it to me only hours before the fire took her life….

_It was graduation day and I could hardly believe I was finally done with high school. Mother had promised once I graduated that I'd have more free reign and wouldn't have to stay inside anymore. "Though, I do wish you'd start wearing that necklace Near gave you again" she had expressed. It was because of this that I was eagerly waiting by the door for Near to arrive. He'd offered to take Darren and me to lunch before the ceremony in celebration. Mother would meet us later at the school. "He'll be here any minute now" mother stated, offering a warm smile. She placed a kiss on my forehead "I'm proud of you" she whispered. She then pulled something from her pocket and handed it to me. "A feather?" I questioned. "I know you're just going to say you're never going to look, but it was your father's. He left it on my pillow the day he left. Shinigami wings are like human fingerprints. Though some are similar none are exactly the same as another. If two feathers are an exact match, then there from the same shinigami. It was a promise that he'd be back someday. In any case, I think its time you held onto it" she monologued. "you're right, I probably won't look for him, but thank you" I replied. I scampered to my room and placed the feather inside the lunchbox with the other two items. Near had arrived by the time I'd returned and after one last proud kiss from mom, we were off._

_ "You both have come far" Near complimented. Darren and I blushed. "thank you, Near" I stated. "Can you believe we've finally done it!? After today, we choose our own path!" Darren cheered. "I know! Mom has promised to ease off on her 'precautionary' methods so I don't need to sneak out in order to have fun anymore—I'm finally free" I chimed in. I could see the corners of Near's lips quirk upwards a bit and he lifted his sprite a little ways off the table. "I have no doubt that both of you will be successful, so, here's to a bright future" he proposed. Darren and I lifted our glasses as well, mine of ice tea and his of lemonade. "To a bright future" we repeated in unison, clinking our glasses with Near's and then with each other's._

_No sooner had we sipped our drinks then we were interrupted by a call to Near. "Yes, Matsuda, what is it?" he greeted boredly._

That's as far as I would let my mind wallow in that particular memory. I didn't want to remember the rest of that day. I didn't want to remember Near ushering Darren and I back into his car. I didn't want to remember driving up to the smoking rubble that remained of my home. I didn't want to remember shooting out of the car towards that rubble only for Near to grab me around my stomach from behind as I squirmed and flailed against his grip. I didn't want to remember practically falling, tear filled, and blubbering into Darren's arms once Near released me to talk to some people at the scene. I didn't want to remember creating a tear trek down the crook of Darren's neck, or being tapped on the shoulder so I could receive the only surviving item of the fire. A lunch box covered in ash and rust from the fire. The three items I'd put in it in perfect condition. Last but not least, I didn't want to remember the wicked, inhuman, chill inducing laugh I heard at that very same moment. A shinigami had killed my mother and destroyed my home. Though it happened a month ago and I could replay those images as if it happened this morning, I didn't want to remember them.

In a moment of heated anger, I slammed the lid of my box closed. Then picked it up and hugged it to my chest before placing it in the remaining spot inside my suitcase. I zipped my suitcase up, grabbed my purse and hoisted my suitcase off the bed, before rejoining Darren and Ryuk downstairs.

"Your turn to pack" I told Darren and he nodded walking upstairs without another word. I watched Ryuk stick a hand into the bag of apples he was holding in his right hand. I shuffled over, swiping an apple for myself and earning a glare from the full blooded shinigami. "Hey, I'm a half breed—I need them just as much as you and there's plenty" I defended.

Darren had finished packing in less time than I did and the three of us were off. I of course called Near to request meeting him at his living quarters before the station, so we could drop off our stuff and unpack. He agreed, saying we probably wouldn't start an investigation until tomorrow. I was fine with that, there was something I still had to do today anyway.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review :)_**

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The car ride there was pretty quiet. I watched trees and buildings pass by in a daze as we sailed down the roads to our destination. Darren didn't say a word, only snuck worried glances in my direction when he was able. The only sound in the car was the constant crunching of apples from Ryuk and periodically me. Although, Darren was pretty subtle with his glances, I could practically feel Ryuk's eerie gaze upon the back of my head. I would've thought he'd be complaining about boredom or pestering me with questions about why I didn't accept the death note. Instead he just stared at me with those big yellow eyes of his. I knew from what Near had told me and from past dreams that it wasn't like Ryuk to be so silent. "Is there anything you want to say, Ryuk?" I questioned irritably, scrunching my nose and narrowing my eyes. I watched through the corner of my eyes as he averted his eyes to the opposite window I'd previously been looking through. "I've been watching you, kid" he mumbled.

My jaw dropped and my teeth slammed together. If I had been the driver we would have swerved and possibly crashed. He'd been watching me?! Did he even realize how creepy that sounded? So, did that mean I was being stalked by my uncle's killer? "umm, what?" I shrieked. "Nothing, never mind" Ryuk replied. The car halted to a screeching stop. "We're here—and not a moment too soon! The tension is so thick here you could slice it with a knife" Darren joked awkwardly, squeezing my knee lightly before getting out of the car.

Darren was the first one to greet Near, going for a simple fist bump and hand shake. I however, opted for the small, yet meaningful hug. Like with Darren, Ryuk's death note touched him before we could warn him about our unwanted tag along. "Ryuk" Near stated, semi-politely. "hey, long time no see" the shinigami rasped. "Silver, you're not carrying a death note, are you?" Near inquired. "No I am not" I told him. "Then, I trust you can explain why a shinigami followed you to my home?" he asked. I nodded "yeah, but we should sit down first, its kind of a long story" I warned.

Once we were settled on the couch in the living room, I explained my endeavor within the shinigami realm. So, as not to worry them, I had left out the part where I was fenced and chained as well as when they were threatened. "and your certain this: shinigami king, will keep his promise?" Near inquired once I was finished. "I don't know, but its worth a shot. I'm exhausted from being on the run all the time. I can't do it anymore, besides this world and that one fusing together sounds like bad news anyway" I spouted. "It really dose, doesn't it?" Darren pondered. "It does indeed, but Silver, I'm not so sure this is a good idea either. Working with those that have hunted you down…There isn't much I care about, but you're an exception to that statement. I want you as safe as you can be and this is not safe at all" Near explained. Darren stood up, a strained grin crossing his features. "I tend to agree with Near" he blurted and plopped back down. "Don't you think it would be worth it if it meant you wouldn't have to worry anymore?" I challenged.

Near cleared his throat. "you're not going to budge on this, are you?" It was more of a statement then a question and he stared with squinted eyes into me. I squinted my eyes back at him, taking his challenge. Finally he sighed, a clear sign that he had given in. "very well, but we'll need more staff, I should like to involve the same people who worked on and survived the Kira case. That means, Silver, letting others know of your shinigami half. Are you ok with that?" he pried, his eyes had softened but didn't break contact with mine. "If you trust them, Near, then so do I" was my reply.

"Are you serious?! This is way too dangerous! Silver, you don't owe those pricks anything. Do you even realize what you're risking?!" Darren pouted shooting out of his seat once again. "I'm risking a lot more if I don't do this" I countered. I ignored any protest or further questioning and simply grabbed my suitcase and purse before heading upstairs where practically every room in the house other than the living room and kitchen were located.

It didn't matter if they understood my last statement or not. They hadn't known they'd been threatened. I hadn't told them. Fact was, I couldn't let that happen, plain and simple. They were all I had. Without them, there'd be nothing left for me or of me. Call me selfish, but if it weren't for their lives being on the line, I would have refused. The rest of the world could rot in hell for all I cared, after dealing me such an unfair hand of fate. Not them, however, never them.

I'm sure I'm confusing you again so let me explain something. I refused the death note for one simple reason: my mother. I promised her I'd never use one. The death note had corrupted my uncle, making him believe he had the right to choose who lived and died. He believed he could be a god and rid the world of crime. Although I believe he truly thought he was doing something good, I agree with Near. My uncle was nothing more than a murderer. Now, this doesn't mean that I'm ok with what Ryuk did. Hell, if you don't recall, I had referred to him as a bastard earlier. Murderer or not, Light was family. He could have been more than a killer if he'd had the chance to live and reflect on what he'd done, but it was too late for that, thanks to Ryuk. Before I go on an off topic tangent let me back up a bit.

So, I'd said that the world could rot in hell and the only reason I'd refused the death note was because of a promise to my mother. This is true, but I'm not like my uncle. I don't want to decide who lives and dies. I don't want to be god. When I say 'the world can rot in hell', I simply mean that I have no desire to stop any type of disaster that threatens the world. I only care about Darren and Near and if they hadn't been threatened, I would have let the two worlds fuse without a fight.

As I sifted through my own thoughts I could hear a certain shinigami's creaking footsteps fall in tune with my own. "hyuk, hyuk, there really worried" Ryuk cackled. I ignored him. "hyuk, you know the albino's real name. You can see it just like I can, so why do you still call him Near? Hyuk, hyuk" he pressed. "because, he prefers to be referred to as Near. So Near is what I call him" I responded with monotone. "Why though?" Ryuk asked again. "Why does he want to be referred to as Near? I never asked because its none of my business. I call him by his preferred name out of respect" I deadpanned. "Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk. The king is going to double cross you, you do know that right? hyuk" Ryuk warned. Ok, that was a little random.

By now we'd reached the top of the steps and I stopped abruptly. I swiveled around to face him fixating my eyes to glaring slits. "Why have you been watching me?" I demanded. He simply brought out his jet-black wings (that in a certain light were almost purple) and flew off without a word. What the fuck was that? Why warn me about the king double crossing me? He would have never told my uncle that, so why warn me? Was it because he was told to be my partner and not just a specter as usual? What did he mean anyway? I guessed that he meant the king wasn't going to keep his word, but how would he know that? Not to mention flying off without answering my question.

I trudged down the long hallway, passing a bathroom and a laboratory looking room. The laboratory type room had a super computer, a safe and a bunch of other gadgets with lots of buttons and flickering lights. At the end of the hallway were two guest bedrooms and of course, the master bedroom in which Near stayed. I lugged my stuff into one of the guest rooms and stopped, breathless after one step through the door. Up against the right corner of the back wall was a grand piano.

It had been a long time since I played. The last time I played, I was a 10 year old with pigtails and it was in front of a Christmas tree on new year's eve. After that year, we had to sell the piano to make some repairs on the house, so I never had the resources to play again. I brushed over the top of the piano with my hand. This was not here the last time I'd been at Near's. I tilted my head to the right, suddenly wondering if I could still play. Hesitantly, I sat on the stool in front of the instrument. I lifted and dropped my shaky hands several times before finally making the decision to place my fingers on the keyboard. I glided my fingers delicately over the keys, causing them to emit their calm ring of sound.

I paused a second after testing the keys. Thinking over what songs I knew. Like a lightning bolt an idea struck. It was someone's birthday today and I knew the perfect song for them. I repositioned my fingers and again began hitting the keys, this time making sure the right string of beats was being emitted. I let my voice pour out as well to assist myself with the tune….

_You'll burn this time_

_Seeing the violence_

_It's feeding my mind_

_No one was saving you_

_How can you find_

_A heaven in this hell?_

_Leave it behind_

_Hearing your silence_

_It screams your goodbye_

_Cannot believe it's an eye for an eye_

_Let us go to waste_

_Angels have faith_

_I don't want to be a part of his sin _

_I don't want to get lost in his world_

_I'm not playing this game_

_When the shadows remain in the light of day_

_On the wings of darkness he'll retaliate_

_He'll be falling from grace_

_Till the end of all his days_

_From the ashes of hate_

_It's a cruel demon's fate_

_On the wings of darkness_

_He's returned to stay_

_There will be no escape_

_Cause he's fallen far from grace_

_What have you done?_

_Is this what you wanted?_

_What have you become?_

_You're soul's now forsaken_

_You're walking alone_

_From heaven into hell_

_Now that you know_

_Your way in this madness_

_Your powers are gone_

_Your chains have been broken_

_You've suffered so long_

_You will never change._

_When the shadows remain in the light of day_

_On the wings of darkness_

_He'll retaliate_

_He'll be falling from grace_

_Till the end of all his days_

_From the ashes of hate_

_It's a cruel demon's fate_

_On the wings of darkness_

_He's returned to stay_

_There will be no escape_

_Cause he's fallen far from grace_

_far from grace_

Only once I'd finished had I realized that my wings had unsheathed themselves. I quickly pulled them back, only to be jumped and crushed by Darren. "That was pretty! I thought I'd never hear you play again!" he'd exclaimed after tumbling on top of me as a result of his tackle. My legs were still on the stool though and as I shifted into a sitting position on the floor, my brain registered the sound of a subtle slow clap. I scanned the front of the room and found Near leaning against the wall next to the door. He had his right leg bent and his foot pressed against the wall as well as his back. "That was quite beautiful, Silver, I was hopping you'd play" he praised. I cleared my throat. "I didn't realize anyone was listening" I stated. Near nodded. "I should admit, that it was Ryuk who heard you first" he informed. I furrowed my eyebrows, suddenly noticing a pair of big yellow pools peeking in the doorway. When my own eyes locked on them, the yellow pools cast themselves to the floor.

"well, I'm glad you liked it" I told them. I must have really been in the zone to not have noticed any of them come in. I then stood up and brushed myself off. "Oh, hey, Darren, can I barrow your car keys? You know what day it is and I'd like to get to the store before it closes" I requested. "umm, sure" Darren said, fumbling in his pocket for the keys, then tossing them to me when he found them. I had one foot at the door when Near spoke. "Silver, if you insist on fulfilling the mission the shinigami king gave you, then I insist you where that necklace wherever you go. Please?" Near begged. "alright, but only if you and Darren both promise to calm down" I agreed. Near nodded "as long as I know you're safe, I have no reason to panic" he confirmed. I then looked at Darren. "what about you?" I pressed. Darren avoided eye contact with me, choosing to stare at the wall instead. "I just….I don't think it's a good idea for you to even take the case, let alone leave if you're going to. However, I know you. There's no changing your mind once it's made. Just be careful, alright?" he told me. I smiled and fished through my suitcase for my 'treasure box' which held the necklace.

After setting the box on the bedside table, I finally left the room wearing the beautiful necklace with a tracking device around my neck.

I had just reached the car when I heard footsteps rushing to catch up to me. "Silver wait!" The owner of the footsteps shouted. Near had stopped me once again. "What now?" I groaned. "I want to come with you this year" he answered. My jaw dropped. No one, not even Darren had ever wanted to come with me for this particular tradition before (with the exception of my mother, but she's the one who started it in the first place). "There's something I want to show you" he explained. I nodded "well, ok, lets go then" I announced.


End file.
